South America

Welcome to Argentina!

The second largest country in South America, and the eighth largest in the world, It is also the highest and the lowest of the American continents; at 22,834 ft or 6,960m Cerro Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in the American continents, while Salinas Chicas, at 40m below sea level, is the lowest point in South America. This is one Latin American country where Europeans and North Americans can fell at ease and travel relatively inconspicuously.

A country with a vast diversity, ranging from wild remote areas in southern Patagonia to the bustling metropolis of Buenos Aires in the north. From the breathtaking Iguazu Falls to Whale watching in Puerto Madryn, from fine dining having what is absolutely the best beef in the world to world famous Tango shows in Buenos Aires, from shimmering lakes, glaciers and pristine eco-systems in the Patagonia region to Mendoza, Argentina’s main wine-producing region.

At the southern tip of Argentina there are several routes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans including the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Channel, and the Drake Passage as an alternative sailing around Cape Horn in the open ocean between South America and Antarctica.

Brazil

Bem-vindo! (Welcome!) to Brazil, a marvelous country known world-wide for its natural beauty and its colorful Carnivals, attracting thousands of tourists all year long. From the warmth of its beaches with over 4,700 miles of coastline and nearly year-round sunshine, to the lively Rio de Janeiro, a cidade maravilhosa, or Marvelous City: home to world-famous Copacabana and Ipanema, perhaps the most beautiful urban beaches in the world, where you can bronze your skin to perfection while you play a game of “futevolei,” or foot volley ball.

As iconic to Rio as the Statue of Liberty is to New York, the Christ the Redeemer statue towers over the city from the Corcovado Mountain. Sugar Loaf Mountain: Instantly recognizable as a symbol of Rio de Janeiro looms over the city at nearly 1,300 feet above sea level. From Sao Paulo, one of the two bustling megacities of the south-east. To the Iguaçu Falls allocated on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones.

From the beautiful Amazon Rainforest, representing over half of the planet’s remaining rainforests and comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world. To the more relaxed city of Salvador in the northeast, or the old colonial towns of Ouro Preto and Olinda. Don’t forget to visit Brasilia, the capital city of the country, known by its great architecture. Brazil is a unique natural paradise where all the visitors are always accompanied by people who are willing to show the best points of every excursion, making a trip to this country just unforgettable.

Peru

Welcome to the “City of Kings”! Almost all make a stop at Lima, which is Peru’s cultural and business center, from shopping at the open marketplaces, to dining at Lima’s celebrated restaurants. With excellent museums, interesting historic attractions, friendly people and plenty more to offer, it is surely worthy of exploration. Several museums display and preserve Peru’s golden past, including most notably the internationally famed Museo Nacional de Antropologia y Arqueologia.

Visit Lima Downtown, with its colonial convents and mansions which are symbols of the ancient and noble traditions. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Center, due to the large number of artistic monuments found here, Historic Lima is an enchanting haven of a period long gone. Lima, is as well the gateway to a country full of treasures, from the Nazca Lines (250 miles south of Lima), a unique place due to the mysteries of its marvelous lines and figures, drawn with spectacular perfection, by the gods… by aliens… by giants or by ordinary people?

The beauty and magnitude of the lines must be observed only from above, to Caral, a large settlement in the Supe Valley, (200 km north of Lima). Caral is one of the most ancient cities of America and a well-studied site of the Norte Chico civilization, from Cuzco, known as the “Archaeological Capital of America” also declared a UNESCO World Heritage due to its Inca ruins and Spanish colonial architecture and the perfect mixture of both, to the citadel of Machu Picchu, recently named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Chile

A country of astonishing contrasts and extreme beauty, with attractions ranging from the towering volcanic peaks of the Andes to the ancient forests of the Lake District. Resting on an inland plain, with the Andes glimmering in the distance, Santiago, the capital of Chile, is the fifth largest city in South America.

There are a multitude of wonderful National Parks in this magnificent country, and plenty of opportunities for fine adventure travel. Chile is justly famous as the location of Torres del Paine, considered by many to be the finest nature travel destinations in all of South America.

Ecuador

Packed like a knee-cap between Peru and Colombia, contains within its borders an improbable variety of landscape and culture. From the epic stretch of the Northern Andes, to a biological mother lode within the Amazonian Oriente. From the sea-minded Pacific coastline, to the living wonders of the Galapagos Islands. The entire country is about the size of Washington state, and it is home to some of the world’s most extraordinary National parks. From the coastal lowlands in the West, to the volcanic central highlands, and the rainforests of the East. Ecuador is one of only 17 mega diverse countries in the world according to the World Conservation Monitoring Centre.